BATMAN: THE FOREVER KNIGHT
by HeroesAmongUs
Summary: Batman has been missing ever since the Gotham Bombings caused by the infamous Joker. The city it self has been taken over by wannabe heroes and several of Batman's twisted enemies. But The Dark Knight has a plan; he's waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike and show everyone that they should all fear The Batman.
1. Prologue

BATMAN: THE FOREVER KNIGHT

Prologue

"-a White Knight, then a dark one"

* * *

**WHY GOTHAM CITY DOESN'T NEED THE CAPED CRUSADER!**

By Victor Rosenblatt

**A blaze of light powering through the smog filled sky, illuminating black clouds with a symbol. A giant bat. Criminals scurrying for safety and security only to be beaten senseless by Gotham's violent guardian.**

The Batman is not a hero. We have made him out to seem like a dark avenger of the night, but at heart he is just as bad as the criminals he chases. Hospitals are constantly filled to the brim with victims of The Dark Knights so-called heroic acts. Broken wrists, dislocated joints, shattered collar bones, mild blindness and even at some points short-term paralysis. Under staffed and under funded many of Gothams citizens were flocking to Metropolis for treatment. The Batman was managing to fill up two whole hospitals with criminals. His violent behaviour is just the beginning, I haven't even mentioned his complete disregard for public safety, the traffic code and the destruction of several buildings.

Before The Batman arrived Gotham was coping. I admit it wasn't at it's best with crime bosses and gangs. But everything was balanced by some kind of cosmic order. Crime was controlled and people felt safe. For criminals that ran awry we had the police, but then it escalated. A man dressed up as a bat swearing order on what he famously called scum- which was spray painted all over a truck which inside sat, gagged and bound Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni who suffered several cracked ribs and a broken leg.

It seems The Batman suffers a pathological need to inflict violence and pain on others. If our Policemen manage to restrain themselves then so should he.

Worst of all however is what I mentioned a few sentences back, escalation. The world is in constant struggle to keep balanced, and when a vigilante arrives with new methods and new rules the world compensates and we end up with villains so more dangerous than what we can cope with. The Batman attracted- like a moth to a flame- the crazed and twisted individuals. He practically begged for the challenge and I wouldn't be surprised if he even had a hand in creating them. We no longer need you or want you. You're time has passed, we look towards the future. A better and brighter one where our heroes are more of a White Knight, then a dark one.

* * *

_-Gotham News Network_

-And it's now month eight on the Bat-Watch where the Caped Crusader has not been heard or seen from. That's right folks, eight whole months without The Batman. He was last seen during the infamous Gotham Bombings where several major buildings where turned to rubble after the threats of the infamous Joker. The madman demanded that The Batman hand himself over "naked and with a smile on his face". Most believe that the two in question died within the Gotham City Baseball stadium as it exploded in what some citizens call "an epic showdown" despite not witnessing the scene and no bodies being found once the wreckage was cleared. Many pray for the return of Gotham's Dark Knight as crime reaches an all new high with various gangs sectioning off parts of the city that are in disrepair and claiming them as their own turf. One thing is for sure that Gothams future isn't looking bright. Now on to the weather with Bill.

-Thank you Veronica, well it appears that despite being well into fall we still have sun, sun, sun, to look forward to this week, however those temperatures are gradually going to drop... So don't be fooled-

* * *

_I'm waiting._

_Hiding in the shadows, pretending I'm **dead** to the world._

_You have **no** idea how many people I've let **die** because of you. How I just ignored their screams for help, **praying** that someone else would save them. But I'm going to **fix** that. You'll appear soon enough, you won't be able to help it. Curiosity will get the **better** of you, and I'll be there__._

* * *

Commissioner Gordon sat within Mayor Callaghan's office, his large desk a symbol of his status and power. Gordon often thought it compensated for the lack of balls he had. The office itself was musty and felt like a place a geography teacher would be, not the head of a _city_, not the head of _this_ city. The mayor was _so_ cut off from the outside world it was _unreal_. He sat there like a proud cat who's just brought in a dead mouse. Completely oblivious for the trouble it was soon heading for. Gordon lit a cigar and breathed out a thin line of smoke. The Mayor went to protest but Gordon just looked at him and nothing was said. _Complete_ lack of balls. "We _need_ to increase the amount of men I have at _my_ disposal Mayor. The numbers that I have aren't _nearly_ enough to quell the riots or _shift_ the gangs that have embedded themselves into certain districts." Gordon watched as the Mayor sighed and scratched his head. He _knew_ the answer, he was going to be given it _again_. That _well_ rehearsed speech of his.

"I'm _afraid_ I can't stretch the budget Commissioner. All of Gotham's money is being spent on rebuilding the city. Fixing the buildings that were attacked, I had to organise the _several_ graveyards be made bigger. They needed _more_ land to bury the dead that sicko _murdered_. Three graveyards to have expansions. _Three!_ -How am I supposed to sleep with _that_ on my mind? I _already_ gave you your weapons request and _then_ some to fight this tidal wave of crime."

Gordon couldn't believe he was hearing this. The words coming out of the Mayors mouth _may_ have well have been _alien_. "I _need_ men to fire the guns for _Christsake_! Also, _that's_ how you want to do this? _Blast_ them out of their holes that they've _burrowed_ into? It'll start _war_ on the streets and we're _still_ recovering from the last one!"

"And what would you have me do _Commissioner_?"

_He's got that __stupid__ look about him again. That one where he's __basically__ saying you can't order me around because I'm Mayor. I __don't__ have time for his stupid power play games. I have to try to save this city. __Especially__ seems as it's just me now._ "Ask for the _support_ of the law enforcement from Metropolis. _Hell_, even Keystone City if you have too. Just get _me_ more men otherwise I can't _win_ this war."

"War?" He scoffed. "You come in here, into my office making demands like nobodies business and then claim this to be a war? War is over Gordon, this is the time for peace now. The bombings were months ago. This is the aftermath where we rebuild. There is no further threat out there. A few hoodlums running around is all, also Batman and his... rogues are long gone now. With him and Joker dead there is no oxygen for the flame. No more!"

_Gordon felt like slamming his own head against the desk, he would have got much further doing so. It was like talking to a robot that was programmed to churn out the same answers every time. He had no idea what this city and it's inhabitants were capable of. This was very much a war and it had taken a better man to show him that. A never-ending war against crime, corruption and the insane. He had to carry on the fight though. Where others would quit he would still fight. Ravished with age, pain and a smokers lung didn't come into the balance. He knew Batman was alive. He knew there was a plan. A body of Joker wasn't found and in his experience that means he survived, and if that madman's out there... then so is he._

* * *

_You **killed** hundreds. _

_Blew them to **hell**. _

_No remorse, no sorrow, no grief._

_Gotham First General Hospital- You kindly left the second one- Blackgate Prison, First National Bank, a School Bus, a Joke Shop and Gotham Rovers Baseball Stadium. I've seen the list of the dead. I can remember all their names, every. last. one.- and I'm going to beat them into you. Oh especially the children. Just as you took Jason from me I'm going to take everything away from you. I've studied you for years, I know how you work. What buttons to press, what bones to break. Time to play by the new rules. _

_...Do you know how I escaped?_

* * *

"Batman is still out there." Superman protested, something he'd been doing for a while now. "A man like that does not simply just die."

"He is just a man Kal," Wonder Woman replied. "Flesh and bone." She seemed to revel in those words. "Just a fleshy sack that can easily burst." Some accused the Amazonian of being racist towards humans. The normal kind that didn't have superpowers. No one was really sure if it came under as racist or xenophobic but either way it caused a great deal of problems, most of the Justice League had learned to simply accept this but still found it strange as why she'd offer to protect the "weak" as she called them. The Justice League of America consisted of Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash.

"He founded this League Diana-"

"You talk about him like he's a hero?" She scowled. "He only agreed to help you so he could find us all if we ever went rogue- or simply just tried to stop him. He's psychotic Kal-El. The others agree with me. You know that one day one of us was going to have to put him down like a mad dog. He would have done something to threaten the existence of us all and we would have had no other choice." She hated Batman. He thought he was better them than all. He thought because he was human and with no powers that made him special. But in her eyes it didn't, it just made him arrogant. "You have seen how he deals with crime?"

Superman sighed. This felt like a losing battle, something he wasn't used too."All right, I admit he can be... brutal sometimes,"

"Brutal?" Green Lantern exclaimed. "He broke my wrist and tried to pull my ring and finger off!"

"You attacked him Hal! How do you expect he would react? Look- I know Batman is not..."

"Mentally stable." Flash quipped.

"A conventional hero like the rest of us, but he protects his city. He fights the true psychopaths and keeps them at bay. A city like Gotham will never breed a purely wholesome person. They would be destroyed within a matter of seconds. Gotham needs a Batman and right now it's streets are in disarray and turmoil. We need to help, it's our duty as heroes."

"Kal," Wonder Woman said calmly, placing her hand on top of his and looking deep into his eyes. "He would kill you in an instant. If you didn't pick his side then he wouldn't think twice in doing it. Gotham is a cancer. It's a fire that has to burn itself out. Imagine if it spread. Batman is dead, he was sick and now he can rest an untroubled sleep."

* * *

_-Determination. _

_It's how I **always** win. Pure **unrivalled** determination._

_I escaped because I knew you would. After the bomb blew I awoke expecting to see your mangled corpse intertwined with flaming metal. I expected to see us both dead. I still see the scene play out now as if it was yesterday. -Heh... it was yesterday... for me. _

_"WHY?!" I roared over the wind and rain, my voice mixed with the thunder, maybe even rivalling it. I was furious. I wanted to rip your arms off and beat you to death with them. The worse bit though was the why? I didn't know why you done this. What you could have possibly accomplished by destroying so many beautiful lives- and that's when you did it. The thing I hate the most. You laughed- that insane laugh of yours that makes every bone in my body tingle with hatred- you laughed and simply said-_

_"For you honey." You smiled, eye's widened, arms open as if ready to embrace. That's when it struck me. All these years desperately fighting you and putting you back in Arkham have all been part of the game. It's what you've wanted ever since our first encounter. You've never sought a higher purpose then to... annoy me. _

_"It's all a game to you." I mumbled._

_"You mean it's not to you?" You gasped comically. "You mean you've been taking this seriously? Wow! All those people I've murdered must really get you down. How about a kiss? I'm wearing my special lipstick just for yooouuu- hooohooohehehehehehee!" _

_It was at that point everything became clear. The mob bosses simply wanted to rule Gotham, they saw it as the seedy empire it could be, mixed with just enough class, scum and shadows. Harvey just wanted revenge on them, and that's what killed him in the end. Poor Harvey. Ra's wanted order from the chaos, a chance to start a new- driven to madness believing he was doing God's work of purifying the decadent. The Ratcatcher, desperate to be loved. Stole children who were alone like him. Bane purely fixated on beating someone he saw as a challenge. A complex that could only accept conquering and rejected the ideal of defeat- and finally Joker- who was just in it for the fun. You weren't insane, it was worse than that. You were something else entirely different. _

_I ran towards you whilst you still laughed blindly and manically in the heavy rain. I knew you'd have the detonator on you. So I grabbed your pockets and searched frantically until we both found it and grabbed hold of the device tightly. This was the last place you'd threatened to blow to hell. I assumed you'd drag me there for some elaborate speech then escape whilst blowing me to kingdom come. It's not like I had a boy wonder to worry about any more. Dick was gone, long gone. Jason was dead. Barbara crippled. Just me left. The survivor. _

_"You fool!" You shouted. You seemed genuinely upset, you weren't smiling. I liked it. "Are you trying to kill both of us you idiot?!" _

_"This is how it ends! This is what you've forever wanted, to push me over the edge. That always meant crossing the line- To kill! To directly be responsible for another human beings death. My finger on the trigger!" You just stared at me- In pure wonder and amazement, your mind looking as if it couldn't fully comprehend what I was doing. Then you did what you do best. A defence mechanism. You laughed. "-But you're not human are you? You're a monster of the highest order...and me? -Well, I'm just shadow ...and fear ...and rage." I flicked the lid open that covered the red button. We both placed our thumbs on top ready to press down. "You can take it funny man..." _


	2. Episode 1

Episode 1

"Let the nightmare continue."

_Four Months Later_

-And today marks the one year anniversary of the disappearance of _The Batman_. The city itself is divided as to morn his disappearance or rejoice in it. However some _enraged_ citizens of late have decided to take it upon themselves to act in his place. These _wannabe_ vigilantes dress up in all manor of superhero costumes ranging from _The_ _Batman_ ones to _Superman_ and even _Wonder Wonder_. Others are simply covered in sports padding whilst wielding baseball bats, crowbars and even in rare cases guns for protection. Police Commissioner Gordon had _this_ to say on the matter.

"I _urge_ the citizens of Gotham not to take criminal matters into their own hands. _Batman_ himself is highly trained and me and my officers put our lives down on the line so you at home don't have too. If we catch any of you trying to be vigilantes it will result in a direct arrest. You will be charge and prosecuted. This isyour only _only_ warning."

Stern words from the Commissioner there. You _have_ been warned. With us now to talk further on the matter is Professor of Psychology and Human Behaviour Warren Schmitt. Professor Schmitt, how do you explain all this?

Vell Veronica, _Zhe Batman_ has installed ideas into ze citizens ot Gotham zhat it is "_ok_" to go out a fight crime. Zhese _other_ heroes that belong to zhe _Justice League ot America_ all exhibit zome kind of zuperhuman skill, vhere as _Zhe Batman_ doesn't. Zhis letz people think zhat zhey can make difference ont vell. I assure you zhat _Zhe Batman _vould make un fascinating caze ztudy. Zo much _repression_ must be locked inside. Perhaps zexual, fear and anger. All zhis could make him lash out zhe vay he does. I zhink perhaps he vas _zexually_ abused az child zo he created a new demeanour to protect him from zaid attacker vhich haz grown un to vhat we know now.

-Well truly _fascinating_ theory's Professor and we will carry on with them but right now it's time for the weather with Ollie. Ollie?

–

Deep down within the foundations of Wayne Manor, hidden away in darkness was Bruce. The shadows hid his old and tired face. He was only forty three, it's not old really. If anything it should be your _prime_ years of life. Filled with joy of how far you've come and what you have to show for it. A loving family, a dream job, dream house... even a pet. But that's what it all comes down to, a dream. The dreams of foolish men. Bruce was realistic. He understood and saw the world for what it really was. A tired and run down place that only grants dreams to those who are willing to do nothing. To be swallowed whole by it's _corruption_. You either accepted the world for what it was and become an insignificant part of it, of the machine, and pray that you were rewarded_..._or you rebel. You strike out and try to make a difference by the only way you know how and suffer the ramifications.

If you chose the latter then you would understand that there was no reward to be had. Only pain and suffering which would be occasionally doused by the very rare grateful person. Everyone else would _hate_ you. They would fear you and want to kill you, because if you don't fully understand it you fear it –and your want to destroy it appears. It's nature really. Pure primordial genetics. _The Batman_ was never meant to be loved or cherished. He was designed to be hated and feared by all. A whole city brought together by hatred.

Bruce massaged his closed eyes, his mind racing with images. "In the end everyone had come to hate _The Batman_. Dick had left me five years ago now. Fed up with how he was treated and never living up to my expectations. Forbidden from having a life beyond being _Robin The Boy Wonder_. He _never_ understood the rules. The psychos out there would always find a way hurt you. By secluding yourself from reality you snuffed any chance of that. Dick left claiming that he needed his own life. A chance to be free and live by his rules. I did it to _protect_ him. After his parents were murdered he was in my care, my ward_, _my child_._ He wanted to fight, the perfect solider. But every solider out grows their commander, they seek to command their own. Barbara let her guard down, and that beautiful woman was scarred forever by _him_. He did more to her then he's ever done to me. She was beautiful. She moved with grace and agility. _Heh_- Made it look like a dance. Her levels of justice were through the roof and then one day he took it all away from her. Jim will never forgive me. Even if he doesn't admit it he won't. I'll never forgive me. The wonderful woman then fell into depression, despair, self harm and even tried to take her own life. I know Dick visits her. I know he sneaks in and out of _my_ city, thinking that I have no idea. Stupid _boy_- I see _everything_.

Then the greatest failure I ever made. _Jason Todd_- just a kid. So angry with the world, but he used that anger as his only weapon. He didn't mould it and learn the true power it can grant you. His was just raw and open like a wound, and like a wound it never healed properly. It scared him. And once again that _Bastard_ ruined another of my soldiers. Beat him half to death with a crow bar, then blew him to hell. Why haven't I killed him yet? I knew deep down that explosion at the arena wouldn't end him. He's like a cockroach. The only way to do it is to watch the life seep from his body with my own eyes. Burn him. Send him back to the black pit hell _spat_ him out from. The Batman must kill."

Bruce walked over to a large glass case which was covered with dull grey metal reinforcement. He picked up the black cowl and stared at it with narrow eyes. He remembered back to when he first become Batman. When that small part of him actually enjoyed scaring the life out of thugs and crooks. Hiding in the shadows, braking bones and pounding through cop car blockades. Now it was just another task that had to be done.

–

Commissioner Gordon sat at his desk and lit another cigarette. He breathed in the smoke and chuckled to himself as he exhaled. The first time he'd smoked a cigarette he coughed his guts up. Every time he tried to take the smoke down to his lungs it would tickle and burn his throat, now look. Smoking almost a pack a day, trying to cut down but failing miserably. He blamed the job. The stress of looking after a whole city, trying to do his best to protect each and every citizen as if they were his very own flesh and blood. He was failing. Gotham was more of a war zone then a city now.

His office door slammed open almost causing him to drop his cigarette. It was one of his junior policemen. An up and coming young man. Dedicated to the job with a strong sense of right and wrong, his name was Ian Cross. "Sir, we just got a call saying that there's been a double murder at The Midnight Kiss."

"The brothel?" Gordon snorted.

"Escort service actually." The officer corrected him whilst he got his coat and checked his gun. "Officially they're an escort service after they were _busted_ a few years back. I'm pretty sure they still prostitute themselves but it appears the GCPD have _bigger_ things to worry about."

"That's right son," Gordon shut his office door behind him. Every time he stepped out of his office he felt like he was entering the jungle. That outside his door anything and everything could happen, and strangely enough, he liked it. "With the city slowly going to _hell_ we really don't care about these women. As long as they're not being forced into something they don't want then we have to turn a blind eye to it."

However at the scene this was something that no one could turn a blind eye too. Gordon sighed deeply, he knew that this was another one of those images he'd take to his grave with him. The two girls in front of him hadn't just been murdered -Not that that would have made it all right, but they had been left as a warning. Gordon pulled the blankets back up over them and rubbed his eyes. They were someone's little girls. Sure they were in their mid twenties but to their Mother's and Father's they were still their little girls.

"Parent's probably don't even know they were in this business." Gordon said to Cross. "You _know_ what this means right?" As he turned to him he saw that Cross looked fairly pale, Gordon forgot he was just a kid. This was probably the worse thing he'd ever seen. "Go outside and get some air son. Come back in when you're ready."

"I'm fine." He mumbled. He cleared his throat and tried to focus at the job in hand. "At first glance I'd say _whoever_ did this is clearly pissed. He slit their throats and wrists so he _defiantly_ wanted them dead."

"What makes you think it was a he?"

Cross lifted up the corner of the cover and showed Gordon one of the victims arms. "They've _both_ got various bruising and you can tell by the shape of this one that she was grabbed by the arm by a male hand. It's too large to be a female and the cuts at the throats and wrists are deep so a fair amount of pressure was needed. They're kind of jagged too, blade may have been fairly blunt."

"I'm impressed." Gordon said putting his hand on Cross's shoulder.

"I partly studied to be a pathologist," He covered her arm again. "But being around dead people all day creeped me out."

"Get used to it kid. Lot's of dead people in Gotham. They just don't know it yet, but with any luck and if we do our jobs right we can decrease their chances." A voice called out to Gordon. Another officer was talking to the owner of the joint. Surprisingly it wasn't some seedy pimp but an old lady who looked like she'd be more in place within a nineteen fifties movie.

"Mind telling the Commissioner what you just told me ma'am?" The officer said.

"Of cause, I said that I think these girls were targeted _specifically_." He voice was still shaking from the shock.

"And whys that?" Gordon asked.

"Because they were dressed up as Bat-Women. It was their theme that they chose. Called themselves _The Bat's Bitches_. Got quite a lot of customers too." Tears slowly filled up in her eyes and began to roll down her wrinkled cheeks. "Oh my girls. Why would some _sicko_ do this? Why?! I just thank the lord that Chrissie wasn't attacked."

"Whose Chrissie?"

"She's the third of the trio, she must have ran or-"

She was cut off by another officer calling out to Gordon. He looked pale as well and if he was going to throw up any minute. Instantly Gordon knew. It wasn't being physic or reading every little detail that someone else missed, it was experience. Gordon knew, all the way down from his gut that Chrissie was what the officer had found, and that it wasn't pretty. But he had to see it, he had to know if _he _was finally back.

–

-A triple murder at The Midnight Kiss last night where two out of the _three_ victims had their wrists and throats violently slashed whilst the third victim was dressed up in a skimpy batgirl costume with her mouth cut into a smile, several bullet wounds to her lower back and left in a _provocative_ position. These three woman went by the name of "_The Bat's Bitches_" and according to the owner of The Midnight Kiss, "_very_ successful at what they did". Commissioner James Gordon declared that this was conclusive proof that the Psychotic Mega-Criminal known as _The Joker_ never died in the Baseball Stadium explosion. The Mayor however is denying all claims to this. He says that Gordon is simply "stuck in his old ways" and "fails to understand that just like the pretenders of _The Batman_ there are sure to be pretenders of _The Joker_."

_"At last." _Bruce thought. A dark twisted smile crept across his face and he felt a rumbling sound echo all over his body. "You couldn't wait any longer could you, _funny man_?" He reached out and switched the computer monitor off that was in front of him broadcasting the news. The cave went silent, bar the occasional squeak from a rat. Bruce flicked a switch on the keyboard and headed deeper into the cave. Slowly, music began to fill it. Echoing around from all corners giving off a surround sound effect. The music in question was Schburt Sonata in A minor. "-Heh, An idea of Dick's, of cause he wanted to blast some _punk_ rapper through the speakers. Not in _my_ damn cave."

That dark smile grow ever so more vibrant across his face. He opened up the glass case which held his costume. "Maybe it won't be such a task this time. Maybe I can go back to the glory days of old. Who am I kidding? This has all just been one _long_ night. Let the nightmare continue."

–

"Looks like your boy was right." Frank said.

Gordon hated the mortuary. Not that anyone would like it but he found it harder to to be in there. The whole place made his flesh crawl and his gut writhe and scream in anger. This wasn't just the place where people died. It was the place where he failed to protect them. Even if it wasn't his case. It was his unit, his team, his own responsibility.

Frank pointed towards the gashes on one of the victims necks. "I think the knife was blunted on purpose. The attacker wanted to inflict pain, they wanted it to be messy. The blade was about six inches in length with a diameter of an inch."

"What about Chrissie?" Gordon asked.

Frank seemed to flinch for a moment, then he signalled towards another co-worker to put the body back in the fridge. "What _about_ her?" He mumbled trying to walk off.

Gordon grabbed his arm. "You _know_ what. It's the same isn't it?"

He yanked his arm out of Gordon's grip. "I have _no_ idea what you're on about old man."

"Her mouth Frank, it was sliced into a smile. It was in _exactly_ the same way Joker does it."

"_Did_ it, Jim. _Did._ _It_. He's dead. Accept it. Everyone else has, why can't you?"

Gordon pulled out another cigarette and lit it. You weren't supposed to smoke down here, but he didn't care. That was the least of his worries. "Because I know better." Gordon turned and headed towards the exit but stopped in his tracks and half turned his head. "If you're so sure he's dead, then why are you so scared?"

–

Elsewhere across Gotham within a seedy hotel Joker sat topless on top of a grimy looking bed, the sheets were scrunched up and half hanging over the edge. His white skin seemingly able to hide various scars and stitching that had become slightly infected. A semi naked girl sat behind him, by the name of Harleen Quinzel, massaging his tense shoulders. Her messy blonde hair looked as if it had been electrocuted. It jutted out from every angle, it also looked at if it hadn't washed for days.

"You don't smile any more pumpkin." She said as she kneaded his left shoulder intensely.

Joker sat with his eyes closed as if he was in a trance and sighed. "Because _nothing_ is worth smiling about any more."

"But it's worse then that. It's like the joy has been _sucked_ out of you. You don't seem to find pleasure in anything. Not even me." She said sadly as she kissed his neck gently. "Don't you love me any more J? You know I can do _anything_ for you. Anything you want." Her hand slowly slid down his chest.

He grabbed her wrist tightly and hissed. "Not _now_ Harley!"

"But you used to love it when I-"

"I said not _now_!" Joker exclaimed, he winced and held the side of his head in pain. As he reached over towards the small bedside table several pill bottles sat there along with various small bags of white powder.

Harley grabbed one of the bags of powder and went into the bathroom slightly sobbing. Joker grunted as he swallowed the pills dry. "Stupid _girl_." He thought. "Still _can't_ take it in front of me." Joker looked at the phone sat on top of a pile of boxes across the cramped room and walked towards it. "Disgusting. Can't even afford a _damn_ desk. Surprised it can afford a phone." As he picked it up off the hook, he listened. All that was there was the same old white noise. "Are you listening to me? Can you hear me _dearest_? I called out to you. I've been gone _so_ long. So much time away from you. I had to do it you see? I'd left Gotham _bleeding_ and _dying_ -and before you ask, yes, that was my intention. But best of all I'd left you _helpless_. All you could do was beat me. Hurt me whilst I laughed. It was beautiful. But then you broke my heart. You tried to kill us both. You'd _completely_ changed. I thought we had an understanding of each other. I thought we had something special. Me and you, the last ones left after everyone else had died. But you _ruined_ it, so now... you have to die -and then, so can I."

–

Gotham Docks. Always a good place to begin a search of any kind. It's here that just about everything and anything runs through Gotham. From pirate DVD's to mass quantities of Cocaine, it all has a starting point and it's right here. But this night they had an old guest back. The Batman strikes again.

"It's be _too_ long." Batman thought whilst smiling to himself. "I can feel the wind buffer against me. Hear the faint sound of _thunder_ in the distance. My heart is racing. I want to jump down _laughing_ whilst smashing every tooth out of some _punks_ face. This must be what Christmas feels like."

"Hey Johnny!" A voice called. Another man wearing a cap and thick winter gear turned round. "What's happened to the eleven forty shipment?"

"How the _hell_ would I know?" He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Because it's your _damn_ job you ass!"

"Hey!" Johnny shouted back. "I just mark down when the shipments get here and make sure _nothing_ gets swiped by greedy fingers. Like _yours_! I heard a thing or two about ya!"

The other guy walked away whilst showing Johnny his middle finger. Once again he was all on his own. Johnny huffed. Still doing this godforsaken job, desperate for the money and desperate to be part of a gang, and the only way for that to happen was to start at the bottom and work your way up. All of a sudden he felt a tug on the back of his coat and his world was spun upside down. The next thing he knew was pain surging through him, and a lot of it. A thick rope which was used for mooring boats was tied tightly around his neck whilst his face was pushed against the cold hard concrete floor, which also had a distinct smell of urine about it.

"Hey there." A gruff voice said.

Johnny tried to turn his head round as much as he could, he didn't see much, but what he did was was enough. "Oh _Christ_," He spluttered. "_Batman_!"

"Glad you still remember me. This might be easier than I thought it would be." He tightened the rope. "What do you _know_ about the triple murders at The Midnight Kiss?"

"Even if I say _nothing_, you're not gunna believe me."

Batman pulled him upright and dangled him over the edge of the pier. "Keep in mind when I _drop_ you I'll be holding onto the rope. Think it's long enough for you to hit the water?"

"Oh _Christ_ no, don't! I don't know much but I'll tell you all I do."

"Not good enough." Batman laughed.

"IhearditwasJoker!" Johnny screamed out in fear, the sentence came out as one big long jumble of words without any pauses. "Joker did it. At least that's what people are saying. I was talking to these guys the other day that used to be in Joker's gang and they said it's probably a _shout out_. That he _wants_ to get your attention."

"He's got it." Batman paused, then looked Johnny dead in the eye. "Scuttle back to _wherever_ you came from. This is _my_ city again, _punk_." He threw Johnny into the water below which felt like it was close to freezing point. He madly gasped for air and wildly thrashed about. Johnny grabbed the metal ladder that lead out and slowly climbed back up. Batman was gone, but his threat lasted, and felt like it would for a long time.

–

Once again a knock on the door of Gordon's office shook him out of his trance. He should have been doing paper work but every time he put pen to paper all these thoughts would rush around his head. Memories from previous unsolved cases, thoughts about current ones he was working on. It was true what they say. Married to the job.

"What is it?" He barked.

Cross slowly opened the door and poked his head round. "Erm...there's been a few... _sightings_."

"Of _what_?" Gordon snapped. "Bigfoot, Bogeyman, Santa Claus. I _need_ you to be more specific son."

"Well we're not _completely_ sure if they're true or just prank calls, or even if it's those copycats again. But..." He paused.

"For _god sake_ Cross, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to interrogate you? Just tell me."

"Well..."

-_The Batman _is back! After his year long absence The Caped Crusaderhas been sighted all _over_ Gotham City. Citizens have been ringing up the police, newspapers, news networks and even in some cases the fire brigade. Several _recent_ admissions into local hospitals have claimed to have been _mauled_ by "a giant flying rodent" "a Masked Manhunter" and my favourite "The Goddamn Batman". Not that I nor GNN endorse The Dark Knight kicking the life out of various criminal bottom feeders.

"Can she say that?" The cameraman whispered to the sound guy who was standing next to him.

He shrugged. "I dunno, but she just _did_."

-So let's get down to streets and see what the citizens had to say about this new revalation.

Batman is back? Good for him, maybe he can _sort_ out Gotham once and for all.

Mutha- Batman back, _hell_ with that. _Fool_ need to stay _dead_! Ya get me?

Of cause he _doesn't_ stay dead. None of these freaks now days can. It's just _us_ that suffers. The "_normal_" folks.

I knew he wouldn't stay down! I'm glad the bat is back. Time he kicked the _crap_ out of these punks roaming the streets. I hope he's here to stay this time.

Dunno if these wannabe dress up heroes will be too happy. They seem to have taken quite a liking to running the city there way, you know?

"I can _feel_ the night air rush past me as I leap from rooftop to rooftop. The storm getting closer, almost right on top of me. It'll be one _hell_ of a night." Batman smiled, which seemed to switch between that and him gritting his teeth. "I can feel the city alive in me. _Thrashing_ and _yelling_ in pain and anger. I am its _salvation_. Word would have spread by now, everyone that should be _scared_ will know that _Batman_ is back. I am here Gotham and the blood of the innocent that has been split will have my _retribution_. Let the nightmare continue."


End file.
